Serving an LDS mission can be just one incident after another, or the experience can have its own dramatic arc as the missionary's perspective on life changes.

The problem with "The Errand of Angels" - based on the real-life experience of a former missionary, Heidi Johnson - is that it doesn't build that dramatic arc as much as its makers would hope, and ends up a plodding collection of vignettes.

The character based on Johnson, Sister Rachel Taylor, is a fresh-faced Brigham Young University student writing in her journal about her plans to do God's work on her LDS mission in Vienna, Austria. As winningly played by Erin Chambers (who, like her character, went to BYU), Sister Taylor is a bundle of religious optimism who makes Sally Field's Sister Bertrille in "The Flying Nun" look like a sad-eyed monk.

In Austria, Sister Taylor grapples with cultural clashes, such as the inadequacy of her MTC-level German and her difficulty stomaching some cuisine. But her toughest challenge comes in the form of her Vienna mission companion, Sister Keller (Bettina Schwarz), a corpulent native German speaker who decries Sister Taylor's overeagerness and American arrogance.

Writer-director Christian Vuissa (who made the LDS romantic comedy "Baptists at Our Barbecue") nicely captures the day-to-day toil of missionary work. And Vuissa, born in Austria and schooled at BYU, is blessed with the beautiful scenery of Austria's mountains and ancient cities - and that scenery gets quite a workout, as Sister Taylor is transferred from Vienna to Salzburg to Graz and back frequently.

Vuissa's attempts to take Johnson's mission reminiscences and shape them into a full-fledged narrative never take hold. Sister Taylor's many transfers - each accompanied by a train-station farewell with her companion of the moment - give the script a halting rhythm that makes it tough to keep up with Sister Taylor's path of self-discovery, no matter how exuberantly Chambers pushes us along.

Sean P. Means can be reached at movies@sltrib.com or 801-257-8602. Send comments about this review to livingeditor@sltrib.com.

The Errand of Angels

Where » Theaters across Utah and eastern Idaho.

When » Opens today.

Rating » PG for some thematic material.

Running time » 91 minutes.

Bottom line » The memories of a sister missionary are re-enacted in a loosely threaded story that sputters along.